US Navy medical officers carry a wounded US Marine who was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) after amputating his leg to a medevac helicopter in Helmand province, November 2, 2011. (Getty Images)

(Newser)
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The White House is looking to shift US troops in Afghanistan from a combat role to a primarily advisory one earlier than previously planned. While no decisions have been made yet, the possibility has been discussed at high-level meetings with defense officials, sources tell the Wall Street Journal, with some likening it to the US’ 2009 move to an “advise and assist” role in Iraq. This time, however, US troops would remain involved in combat, only under Afghan-led operations.

“It’s not like we’re … going to move to train, advise, and assist and just let the Afghans do everything on their own and we’re not fighting bad guys,” a senior defense official said. The US has had trouble training Afghan forces, and some officials say they’ve given up on having a perfect force ready by 2014—they’re just looking for one “good enough” to keep the Taliban from regaining power. The move, if it comes, could be announced at May’s NATO meeting.

You just never learn! Haven't you seen how incredibly dumb your "spooks" are? They know NOTHING. Not the language, not the culture, not the traditions, NOTHING. The smallest little ragtag bunch carrying AK47's in the desert know more how to harm the USA than the hugely expensive US spooks know how to harm them. They have little to lose, you have EVERYTHING to lose. GO HOME. You cannot defeat a people in their own back yard. When will you learn that? Go concentrate on defense (not the bullshit "defense" aggression in far-away places your money is stolen for) and building up your economy. GO HOME!

bewilderbeast

Nov 4, 2011 7:04 AM CDT

Just. Go. Home. NOTHING you can do will be worth it. NOTHING. The USA has bombed or invaded or interfered with other nations about 60 times since WW2 and in NOT ONE INSTANCE is the US better off for it. Nor is any one of those countries better off for that intervention. The ONLY thing this is about is making money for war profiteer companies. Nothing else. Your children and grandchildren are going to suffer the consequences of these crazy acts of aggression.

CasperImproved

Nov 3, 2011 4:12 PM CDT

Who gives a crap about what he considered, when he didn't actually do it? Since this is another "stabilizing war" for oil that the US should not be there for, and US troops are dying for, why should anybody care what he "considered" but didn't have the balls to do something about?